"Tenure Track" System for University Teachers: Practice Patterns and Institution Optimization

Abstract

Since the late 1990s, with a few universities implementing the teacher appointment reform, the practice around the "tenure track" system for university teachers has continued to deepen, forming different institution change models in the process of localization and triggering extensive discussions in the academic community. As a system for talent screening, it is essentially the result of institutional and cultural conflicts. Using CiteSpace 6.3R1 to analyze the literature over the past 20 years, it was found that the system has gone through three stages: institution imitation, institution change, and institution cultural conflict. At present, the culture choice in the design of the "tenure track" system is whether to adhere to academic culture or to adapt to the market culture. It is precisely because of the institution cultural choice that the localization of the system and behavior in Chinese universities has been affected, and has presented three typical practical forms: "championship", "arena competition" and "qualification competition" style. Based on the analysis of the three practical modes, the optimization of the "tenure track" system requires to constructa rational mode where academic culture and market culture support each other, to alleviatethe crisis of recognition and legitimacy of institution cultural conflicts, and to promote the localization of the"tenure track"system that is highly compatible with its goals.

Keywords

• university teachers
• teacher employment
• "tenure track"
• practice patterns
• institution optimization